Apparatus for and method of mining



APPLICATX ON FILED 0CT.27, I916.

Patented Mar. 23, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

L. H. EICHELBERGER AND R. A. WALTER.

APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF MINING.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 27, I916.

1,334,894. Patented Mar. 23, 1920.

. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS H. EIGHELBERGER, 0F PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY, AND RAYMOND A. WALTER,

OF FROSTIBURG, MARYLAND, ASEJIGNOBS TO RANSOME CONCRETE MACHINERY COM- PANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A GORPURATION OF NEW YORK.

APPARATUS FOR, AND METHOD OF MINING.

f Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 23, 1920.

Application filed October 2'7, i916. Serial No. 128,049.

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that we, Lnwijs H. Elsi-inn nnnenn and RAYMOND A. WALTER, citizens of the United States, and residents of the city of Plainfield, in the county of Union, Eltate of New Jersey, and the town of Frostburg, in the county or Allegany, State of Maryland, respectively, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for and ldlethods of Mining, of which the following is a-specilication.

The improvements relate to the mining of coal and all ether minerals and have for their objects, among others, the provision or means whereby mining operations of this character may be carried on economically and advantageously, and with a greater degree of safety to the miners employed in such work, particularly where the veins, scams or strata are relatively narrow, thin orlow and the surrounding conditions such as to render the work difiicult, expensive or dangerous. They involve the employment of concrete mixing and placing apparatus such as that shown in Letters Patent of the United States, No. 1,097 ,08 l, granted May 19, 1914, and in copending applications filed August SOthand September 5th, 1916, and niunbeli'ed 117 ,603 and 120,221 respectively, although the im provements are not limited to the use of such apparatus.

Heretoiore it has been common practice in the mining oi coal to drive parallel galleries or headings through the bed or seam on the same horizontal plane and parallel therewith and extending a suitable distance above or below the same, or both above and below it, so as to give ventilation and clearance for operatives, and cars and other appliances, and then to run lateral headings therefrom in both directions through the bed. These lateral headings are connected at relatively short intervals'by room headings, and the coal blocked out in this manner is then removed through these headings or galleries. As the lateral cross headings and room headings are of approximately the same height as the main headings and the strata through which they are cut above and below the coal seam is usually rock, the expense of driving them is very large item in mining operations, and the thinner the vein of coal the greater the relative cost of the headings and the greater the cost of mining the coal. The more frequent these headings also the greater the cost of mining, and it is therefore sought to have them as far apart as possible without unduly increasing the cost of removing the coal blocked out by them, or other disadvantages. To such an extent do this and other items enter into the mining cost that the expense of working seams having a height of less than three feet is generally prohibitive, even where mining machines of the Longwall type are employed.

Again one of the greatest difliculties in mining coal is found in the provision of proper means for sustaining the overburden or controlling; its subsidence after the coal has been removed. This is usually provided for by leaving coal pillars at sufiicient intervals and by the use of wooden posts. But the use of coal pillars and posts is wasteful 01 coal and dangerously weak, and the work of removing the pillars afterthe coal from the rooms has been removed quite often results in loss of life. In recent years over a thousand lives have been lost annually in the United States on account of root falls. In addition to this the placing of the timber and the size and location of the coal pillars interfere with the working of the seam to such an extent that a large part of the time of the men is consumed in handling mine cars between the heading tracks and the working faces of the rooms; in placing timbers; in blasting and removing overlying 0r underlying rock to provide clearance for the cars; in loadin g and unloading, moving and sumping or holing in the mining machines; in provid ing for the removal of water seeping into. the mine; in providing for the circulation of air; and in constructing and operating the network of tracks and switches required for the transportation of the coal after it is mined.

This will be understood when it is considered that, under the common practice, as much as one-third of the coal must be left for pillars to support the roof and prevent it from breaking and falling; that the machine by which the coal is undercut, working along the working-face of the room, must be stopped. loaded on its truck, transported to the heading, around the portions of the bed or seam left for pillars up into the next room, imloaded, stamped in and adjusted j fortherun acrossthe' next face. which p:

' room the'train'of empty mine cars must be stopped,' a car detached and taken into the room, the loaded car removed and attached to the returning loaded train; that'expensive mine posts must behauled to all parts of the) inine and there erected at frequent intervalspthis part of the work requiring the services of skilled men that this timber has hut'a" short life and must be continuallyrenewed; that aniindependent SySteiil of drainagewlth ts expensive pipe hues, pumps and connections must be provided for every roo1n;that several wallsof wood concrete. brick or other material must beconstructed across the openings between rooms to maintain and properly direct the air current-s, and V I that a separateswitch and track must .be

constructed in. each room. It {is the purpose of the presentimprovements toovercome'these. and other disadvantages'by providing means for forming concrete supporting walls as the work of re moving thecoal progresses, which are so formed and placed and of such proport ons that they not only support'the roofs and prevent falling, creeping and squeezin but ldispense'with many hetidings; facilitate the foperation 'ofinachines and conveyers, which when-arranged and usedin accordance with the present improvements will reduce the use of explosives to annnimum and increase the 'efiiciency'of the operatlons atleast' one hundred per cent.,,by simplifying the construction and operation oftra cks and cars;

andbyf'oentralizing the work thereby making possible better supervision and'inspection" and obtaining other advantages.

Under the improved. system. after open- 1 ing the mine, a pair of main headings are driven on the pitch of the seam. to the limits of the property,- if desired. Parallel block headingsare driven off these headings, on

the strike at intervals of about five hundred feet.- Two conveyers of special design two hundred and fifty feet'in length are then placed in the main heading air course with their discharge ends-overthe center of each block heading.

[A Long wa-ll chain machine is now introduced and makes an undercut of from four to six feet extending along the main air course two hundred andfifty feet on both sides of the block headings. The coal is then drilled and the holes charged and tired, and the coal is then removed by the conveyers which carry it to the mine cars on the block heading. After the entire breast of from four to six feet has been loaded the mining machine and conveyer are moved ahead the width of the cut and a concrete supporting wall, composed of separate sections, extending from roof to bottom, is built across the face immediately back of the conveyer on vertical lines; thus eliminating entirely the use of perishable and expensive timber and the resultant dangers due to the insufiicicnt support aiiorded the roof, to the failures of timber and necessities for replacements. This operation is repeated until the coal has been entirely ren'ioved. the system enabling the operators to remove substantially one hundred per cent.

. It will be seen that by so proceeding as to make two outs of two hundred and fifty feet in length without interruption, the minmg maclnne need be handled, moved and started but once, instead of twenty time as where pillars must be left making the rooms and the corresponding cut across the face but 25 feet Wide, and the work of loading and unloading the machine this number of times avoided. The endless conveyers also will carry the coal the entire distance, since there is no obstruction, and it is therefore possible to have the operation of loading the coal on the cars for the entire block conducted directly on the block headings. It is further unnecessary to cut headings across what are here termed the block headings, for the work can be carried on between two parallel headings runningoff the main heading .lor a great distance, without disadvantage, by

simply advancing the conveyors to follow 10;,

up the work of cutting and loading so that they Wlll receive the coal and carry it to the block headings at a point immediately behind the breast on either side. In practice empty cars are run into the block headings 11c and placed underneath the ends of the conveyers, after which they are loaded and moved out into the main headings and drawn out of the mine. It will he noted that by this method only half the number of headings and no rooms at all will be required, resulting in the elimination of at least half the .rock work as cou'ipared with the common practice. It will be neressa ry to maintain only a. small DOITCPIltilgO of the number of tracks and switches for the same tonnage. The drainage and ventilation and hauling will be proportionately simplified.

The method of constructing the concrete pillars or props is as follows:

A series of hollow forms made in a pinrality of vertical telescoping sections are provided. These forms are placed in a row parallel with the main heading and connected with amixing and conveying appamanner.

ratus which may be located at the surface above themain heading, so that the conduit and branch conduits will run vertically down to the said heading and supply the concrete to the forms by air pressure and gravity. Each form has a tap hole by which the concrete conduit is connected therewith so that it can be quickly filled, and also has a removable side next to the main heading. The forms after being filled are allowed to stand until the concrete therein has set to form pillars. The removable side isnow taken off and the form pushed forward to a position behind the next cut, each form being adjusted to compensate for any slight variation in the thickness of the seam by telescoping or extending its parts. The removable side is now placed in position again and the form again filled with concrete to make a pillar or post. This operationis repeated, the line of concrete posts advancing as each section of the bed of coal. is cut and extracted until the property is exhausted.

The endless conveyers employed may be of ordinary type, but it is preferred to use a conveyor having the flights to be loaded at the bottom and returning at the top, so that it will be necessary for the miner in loading the conveyor to lift the coal a few inches only. This conveyer has a continuous back of sheet metal which prevents the coal from falling out, but permits it to be discharged into the cars at the end. The cutters and eonveyers are supplied with power by an air compressor and compressed air con duit or from an electric generator and suitable conductors operating motors in connection therewith, or in any other suitable In order to make the description of the method or process more clear it illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, in whichFigure 1 is a plan showing mine workings conducted in accord ance with the improvements; Fig. 2 is a vertical section of a part of the same on a greatly enlarged scale, and Fig. 3 is a plan of the subject-matter of Fig. 2 with adja' cent parts.

The main heading is indicated by the letter M, the cross-headings by the letter C, the blocks in which the coal is being cut and removed by B, B and B the tracks in the main heading by the letter T and the tracks in the cross-headings by the letter T.

In the blocks B it is assumed that there is a light overhear and that the character of the roof is favorable, so that round posts P may be used. In the lower half of the block marked 13 the overbear is assumed to be medium heavy, and therefore heavy T to the main track T.

are calculated to sustain a very heavy everhear.

The concrete conduit for filling the forms employed is indicated at A, and it will be understood that this conduit extends to the surface of the ground above the workings and has branch conduits for filling the various forms. The forms are indicated at 1) (Figs. 2* and 3), and the connection for the concrete conduit at F. These forms are placed in rows, filled, and the concrete allowed to set,yand other forms in staggered relation placed intermediate and in advance of them so that the rows and forms may be advanced asthe work progresses alternately.

The roof or overhear is marked G, the floor H, and the coal seam J, while the cutter making the undercut E, is marked L, and the conveyer K. Cars in the crossheadings areindicated at N, and these cars after being filled are run over the tracks The arrow in the main heading M indicates the line of progress, and the removal of coal and drainage is in the opposite direction.

The use of this method results in a great saving of human life, the recovery of all the coal or ore in the mine, the economical development of thin seams and veins, the saving of labor, equipment and power and better opportunities for ventilation and drainage. In addition to this it prevents the cracking and breaking up of the surface over the mine, and the resulting damage to improvements and otherproperty thereon, as well as the drainage of water courses.

The size, form and placing of the concrete pillars will depend on the character of the roof and other conditions, and the other steps in the method herein described may 'be otherwise aried these conditions require without departing from the scope of the ii'ivention defined in the claims.

The method of n'iiXing and supplying the concrete for the forn'iation of pillars and posts in itself has a number of advantagesin addition to those hereiirbefore referred to.

said main heading into the seam, placing conveyors in said lateral headings and operating them along the said headings to the main heading. removing a breast or strip of the mineral parallel with the main heading and conveying the mineral thus removed co'ntinuously'to the conveying means in the lateral headings, forming posts of cementitious material and of height varying accord- 7 ing to the height of'the room from which said mineral has been removed in the space left by said removal, removing another strip or breast in similar manner, then placing other similar posts in similar manner in the space-thus made and repeating these opera tions until thedesired amount of mineral has,

the main heading and conveying the mineral thus removed continuously to thee-lateral -headings,.forming in place posts of cementitious material and of height'varying according to the irregularities in the-height of the ithe space thus made, and repeating these room from which said mineral has been removed, removing and conveying another strip or breast in similar manner, then placmg other simllar posts in similar manner in operations until the desired amount of mineral has been removed;

' 3. The herein described method of mining which consists'in driving 'a main heading 'into the seam, driving lateral head ngs from said main heading into the s.eam,'placing eonveyers in said lateral headings to the :main heading, removingja continuous strip of the mineralparallel with the main heading and extending from one lateral heading to another, and conveying the mineral thus removed; continuously to'the lateral headings,l,forming in 'situposts of cementitious material and of varying length according to the variations in the height of the room from -which said mineral has been removed,v re- 45 movingand conveying another strip in similar manner,-then form1ng and placing other similapposts-in similar manner in the space thus formed, 7 and repeating these operations ,until the desired amount ofminer'al has been removed, F

- I 4. The herein described method of mining 'which consists-in driving 'a-main heading into the seam, driving lateral headings from said main heading into the seam, placing conveyers in the said lateral headings to the main heading, removinga breast or strip of'themineral parallel-withthe main heading andlbetween the lateral headingsfand conveying the mineral thus removedcontinuously. to the lateral headings, forming posts of fluent cementitious materialsin the room from 'which'said mineral has been removed, removing-another strip in similar manner,thenmak1ng other similar postsln similar manner in the space thus formed,

and repeating these operations until the de sired amount of mineral has been removed.

5. The herein described method of mining which consists in driving a main heading into the seam, driving lateral headings from said main heading into the seam, placing conveyers in the said lateral headings to the main heading, removing a breast or strip of the mineral parallel with the main heading and between the'lateral headings, and conveying the mineral thus removed continuously to the lateral headings, forming posts of fluent cementitious materials in the room from which said mineral has been removed by conveying through a conduit leading from a point removed from the headings and filling in from floor to roof thereof at intervals with said materials and confining them while permitting them to set,

-1'8I110"l11g another strip in similar manner,

then making other similar posts in similar rmanner in the space thus formed, and repeating these operations until the desired amount of mineral has been removed;

6. The herein described method of mining, which consists in driving a main heading and parallel lateral headings extending therefrom at intervals into the seam, removing a strip along the breast of the seam between the headings, conveying concrete aggregates ina continuous stream from a point exterior to the workings to the room made by said removal, and forming posts therein by. filling in from floor to roof at intervals with said concrete and confining it laterally until it sets, then removing another strip and repeating the post forming process.

7. A system of mining equipment comprising hollow extensible and openable concrete forms, adapted to be placed in a chamber formed by the removal of a section of the seam, and to extend from floor to roof thereof-and to be adjusted to so extend at points in the chamber of difi'erent height due to inequalities of the floor or roof, a conduit for concrete leading to the said chamher from a-point outside the workings, and said forms provided with openings through which concrete may be supplied through the said conduit to the interior thereof to fill the same, the construction and arrangement of the: forms being such that they may be removed and' advanced tofollow up the enlargement ofthe chamber due to removal of the mineral of the scam, placed in position as before and again filled, whereby a series of concrete posts or pillars may be formed behind the work of removing the mineral step by step as the said work progresses.

' 8. The herein described method of mining, which consists in driving a main heading and parallel lateral headings extending therefrom at intervals, removing a strip along the breast of the seam between the headings by undercutting and breaking down the mineral and conveying it by suitable means continuously from points adjacent its original site to the headings, conveying concrete aggregates in a continuous stream from a point exterior to the Workings to the room made by said removal, and forming posts therein by filling in from floor to roof at intervals with said concrete and confining it laterally until its sets, then removing another strip, advancing the cut- 10 1916, at the city oi? New York, in the 15 county and State of New York.

LEWIS H. EICI-IELBERGER. RAYMOND A. WALTER. 

